William Feathergail Wilson, PG # 21
Very small recharge
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Groundwater age dating
Geologic flow concepts
Geochemical analytics
Multiple correlation factors
Vertical & horizontal flow
Local & regional factors
Aquifers & aquitards
Climate past and present
Carbonates and clastics
Structural factors
Diagenesis
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Surface and groundwater
Both over allocated
Demand exceeds supply
Texas will double its population
IH-35 Corridor
• Growth will cease without water
• IH-35 Corridor
• San Antonio
• Austin
• Belton-Temple
• Everything in between
• Edwards Plateau covers ~ 40 counties
• Provides ~ 90% of all spring flow for Hill
Country rivers and streams
• Two primary units
• Edwards carbonates
• Hensell sands
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A thin line
Balcones Fault Zone
Highly permeable
Cavernous
Rapid recharge
Large springs
• Del Rio
• Bracketville
• San Antonio
• New Braunfels
• San Marcos
• Major Gulf Coastal Plain aquifer couplet
• Major export targets for the IH-35 corridor
• Gonzales County
• Bastrop County
• Lee County
• SE Caldwell County
• $1 million/mile pipelines
• Growing political controversies (water wars)
• Demand exceeds supply
• Alternatives?
• Hosston
• Desalination
• Hosston sands and gravels
• 500-1,000 mg/liter TDS
• Drilling depths 3,200’
• Bell Co. test
• Taylor city well
• Test well ~ $400,000
• Production well ~ $1.2 million
• Compare to $400 million cost
• Pipeline
• Drilling
• Imports
Population of Texas will double by 2050
Texas Hill Country growth-demand
IH-35 Corridor – no more local groundwater
Pipeline transport demand & issues
$1 million/mile
Landowner resistance
Shale gas demand: 3-5 million gallons/well –
may drill >30,000 wells in south central Texas
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San Antonio to Belton IH-35 corridor water
demand exceeds supply
Fastest growing area in Texas
Alternative supplies
 Desalination
▪ Edwards
▪ Hosston
▪ Sea water
 Import water
 Drill a Hosston test well